I want to interview Kirk too!

    I had a smile on my face nearly the entire time I was reading about Kirk, the former Apple product manager, because so much of what he was telling the author Tony Wagner seemed to dovetail with information I've learned over the years from my husband who is a GE engineering manager and with so much of Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, one of my favorite books of all time. I felt like I had read it all before, especially about the insanely dedicated lifestyle where a product manager goes into the field traveling to vendors in order to facilitate synthesis and immersion in component manufacturing (display glass to the very edge of the device). To be sure, Kirk had a NEED to find a way to be a producer of value rather than merely a consumer of value. The author finds this to be so at the end of the chapter in his conclusion. Kirk also had a NEED to constantly be expanding his talents and learning no matter what situation he found himself in. His parents had a style of parenting which enabled him to be comfortable learning new things and that exposed him to a variety of alternative ways of approaching the world, while his mentor at Stanford, Ed Carryer, sealed the deal with a hands on integrated learning environment which gave Kirk the confidence to approach most any engineering issue in his post-university pursuits.
     I found it very interesting that Kirk left both his high school and his college studies without taking with him the credentials-- the diploma and college degrees--to which he was certainly entitled. One analogy that came to mind when I was reading that part would be a couple who lives together as common law husband and wife  while eschewing an official marriage license. For a couple like that, and for Kirk, it is the process not the paperwork that matters. 
    I especially like the author's conclusion about the parenting style they employed in raising their son, that the learning was the focus, not as a means to an end but as a pursuit in and of itself. It made me think of Maslow's chart with self-actualization the highest form of living. I tried to empathize with how they were understanding of Kirk's choices to leave high school and college early, and I admired how the author was moved by that. As a parent of a current college student, I would be very frightened were my son to tell me that he wanted to leave college early and drop out. The author also says he was moved by the parents' appreciation of Kirk's desire to "give back" and "to contribute" to society. As a parent of a college student, I would be thrilled were part of my child's reason for wanting to learn and to succeed was a desire to give back. 
   As to the author's fears about the lacking or faltering of traditional STEM classes when compared to hands-on courses such as that in Ed's classes, I think one should employ a balanced approach. One must have the basics in order to master the synthesis required in a Smart Product Design class.  Also, I would add that I like the idea of allowing for the creating of play or whimsy in a hands-on course. I can see how many students would find more interest in that approach than in a meat and potatoes approach to their learning. 
    Lastly, I find it very telling that the Stanford students became a network from which HR at innovative corporations such as Apple could draw employees. Our students need to know and understand that the relationships they forge throughout life, even in high school, can help them make a way in the world later on.  Kirk certainly took advantage of all of his connections and authentic learning.  I want to interview him too. I bet he has some incredible stories to tell about his time at Apple and after.